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How will today's confirmation affect the largest geek fest in the world?
Story by Matt Cummings
Even though the insanity that is San Diego Comic-Con makes enjoying the July event a real hassle, it's still clear that studios love the venue for its ability to release big stories to thousands of adoring fans. Together with social media, it's become the most effective (and cheapest) way to get your new television show or movie casting out there.
But in recent years - particularly in 2014 - some studios began to re-think their strategies of waiting until the annual madness to build anticipation. Take Marvel Studios for example, the consistent darling of past conventions and the group particularly responsible for the way the current convention is covered and orchestrated. With their near lack of news last year for either 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, 2016's Doctor Strange, or even this year's Ant-Man, it was clear that something was either amiss or that the studio hadn't made much progress signing Benedict Cumberbatch or finalizing their Phase 3 lineup.
Then came October 2014, and the now-famous release party with both Kevin Feige and a host of Marvel heroes pimping that same Phase 3. The event was probably made for SDCC, but the details of Cumberbatch (or Joaquin Phoenix, depending on who you talk to) and Edgar Wright's departure from Ant-Man made it impossible to do. What we got was far more exciting.
With confirmation on Monday that Marvel would not be hosting any events in Hall H, it might not need to come back. The news sent ripples throughout the InterWebs, as fans who had already paid for SDCC passes were expecting to see Marvel's yearly spectacle reborn after last year's dud. And yet, it's not all that surprising that they made this decision. In simple terms, Marvel Studios no longer needs SDCC, for a variety of reasons:
They do it better than SDCC
The El Capitan event proved that Marvel can do big scale in small-scale venues. They can bring their talent, a few nice title cards, some music, and a very nice Infinity War preview that brought down the house. It's no longer necessary for them to wait until July, making their announcements more timely and thus more effective.
Creative Control
If you've ever attended SDCC, you know about the long lines, the high cost of food and water, and the smell of young people who haven't showered in 2 days. Marvel has demonstrated their acumen to stage big events in smaller venues like El Capitan, without worrying about crowd control or a host of things SDCC just doesn't get right anymore. That's better for us and Marvel's talent, although SDCC might be on suicide watch by now.
Someone else can (and must) step in to fill the void
This exit gives other studios like Warner Bros. the chance to take center stage, to demonstrate that they can generate the same buzz of their competition, with their planned expansion of the DCCU. Titles like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman are all alluring tentpoles, and without Marvel at SDCC this will give WB's CEO Kevin Tsujihara a chance to prove himself. But will he be able to outdo Tom Hiddleston taking over Hall H in 2013, commanding the crowd to chant his name as he revealed Thor 2 and eventually Guardians of the Galaxy? Unless Henry Cavill literally flies in as The Man of Steel, it will be hard to supersede Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark ruling the crowd back in 2009.
And honestly, it's time someone else demonstrate their marketing prowess. Marvel can't have all marketing geniuses on Planet Earth. If WB/DC takes the reins and wows the crowd with an Avengers-like lineup photo, it could ultimately bring Marvel back. A little competition is good for the soul (and for smelly comic book fans).
If it fails, that doesn't mean the end of the world, but we still want to see DC try. Thanks Marvel for the memories, but it's time for a change. Bring it on, WB/DC.
Discuss this story with fellow SJF fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @SandwichJohnFilms, and follow author Matt Cummings at @mfc90125.
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